New Schengen-Style Tourist Visa to Launch for Six GCC Countries

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states are set to introduce a pilot project for a unified tourist visa by the end of this year, marking a significant step toward regional tourism integration. This was confirmed by UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism and Chairman of the Emirates Tourism Council, Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, during a recent interview.

He described the Schengen-style visa as “a strategic step towards deeper regional integration and will enhance the Gulf’s collective appeal as a single tourism destination.” The new visa will allow travelers to visit all six GCC countries—UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait—using a single tourist visa.

The minister also mentioned that full-scale implementation of the visa will be introduced at a later stage to accommodate a larger number of tourists, although he did not disclose an exact launch date for the pilot project.

Regarding the cost and duration of stay under the GCC unified tourist visa, no details have been provided by the government so far. The initiative, however, is expected to boost tourism and simplify travel across the Gulf region.